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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · wind · rest · scale · wax · pop · land · suit

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pop — music
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pop — soda
  6. wind — moving air
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pop — to visit
  10. land — a country
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. land — ground
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wind — moving air
  18. land — to come down
  19. scale — in music
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rest — a break
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com